ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · key · fork · band · court · hand · arm · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. key — in music
  3. court — for sport
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — for a lock
  12. season — of the year
  13. key — the most important part
  14. band — a music group
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. band — a ring
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — in a road
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com